


Twice In A Lifetime

by UnderwaterOphelia



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:34:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21760234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnderwaterOphelia/pseuds/UnderwaterOphelia
Summary: A wish on the jewel rips Kagome from Kouga's arms and into the future.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Kouga
Comments: 42
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know you all hate me by now for working on this instead of my other unfinished stories, but this just came pouring out of me out of nowhere.

A cold wind whipped through Kagome's thin jacket, making her shiver. A strong arm, pouring out heat, wrapped around her shoulders affectionately. Looking up at her personal heater, a smile touched her lips as she pondered the steadfast ookami walking next to her. 

He really was like her own knight in shining armor, constantly saving her and looking out for her well being after all these years. A small flame in the back of her heart flickered to life. Maybe she wouldn't always be alone like Inuyasha had said after all.

Of course, Inuyasha only said that because they'd gotten into one of their world famous arguments again a few months ago, only this time she had decided she was done with him completely. She'd been tired of the abuse, the name calling, and his general mistreatment of her. What had started as a childhood crush on Inuyasha had been stomped out by his constant barrage of insults on her, and she'd decided enough was enough.

Which led to her current situation the last few months with Kouga by her side. When he had run into them a few days after the explosive fight, Inuyasha was still off sulking somewhere and Kouga wasn't willing to leave their group unprotected. So, they'd joined up with Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku, despite the massive tantrum Inuyasha threw when he returned. And Kouga figured the pack could deal without him for a while, at least until Naraku was dead.

But even with Inuyasha’s constant grumbling from the front of the wandering group, it was actually really fun to have the small pack of wolves around. Shippo was able to practice his pranks on Ginta and Hakkaku much to their dismay, and Kouga had a surprisingly good sense of humor about it all. And the small stirrings of friendship and romance between Kouga and Kagome was doing quite a bit to bolster morale in spite of Inuyasha’s foul moods. 

And so that was how Kagome found herself today, smiling and blushing a bit as she tentatively linked hands while they walked. She looked up into his eyes and then quickly away, feeling embarrassed at the innocent bit of public affection he was showing her. The last rays of sunset behind them dappled across their faces and reflected in the blazing blue of his eyes.

"If this is too fast or something just let me know Kagome. I don't want to push your boundaries or anything. I just like being close to ya." Her heart nearly melted at his soft words. Everytime he thought about little things like her modesty or basic comfort that little flame of affection in her heart grew just a little bit stronger.

Truly, it showed the stark contrast between him and Inuyasha. There were things Kouga did for her and she didn't even realize it until someone else piped up and said something. Just yesterday, he let them set up camp early, which confused her until Ginta had asked if the guys could use the nearby hot springs after the girls were finished with them. It was just a given in their minds to take care of the rest of the group. It was in their nature as ookami.

Slowing her steps subtly to give them more privacy at the back of the group, she whispered over to Kouga that she wanted to talk tonight after everyone was asleep. It was a weird feeling, wanting to be around someone as much as possible and getting butterflies over every little thing they did. Even weirder was that the other person actually seemed to feel the same. 

"Of course we can talk later." His thumb was tracing over her hers distractingly, and she barely caught his whispered reply. Was this how it was supposed to be? No fighting every day over every decision, no cruel words and harsh tones, just simple acceptance and companionship. 

"We're here." Kouga's voice rang out to the others ahead unexpectedly, though where "here" was Kagome couldn't exactly tell. With a flare of his demonic aura, the forest to the right of the group seemed to shimmer and melt away, revealing a path leading up to the entrance of a small village. 

Kouga's soft breath tickled her ear as he bent to whisper, "The inn over there is run by a fox named Daichi that my father used to know. Normally this village wouldn't let in humans but there's only 3 of you so it's probably fine." Keeping her hand tightly entwined with his as the group walked forward toward the bustling village made Kagome's cheeks heat in an ever present blush, but it was worth it. 

As Kouga stopped in front of the tiny ryokan, two small fox kits ran up to Shippou and suddenly he was scampering up her leg. "Can I go say hi? Please?" Puppy dog eyes had always been her weakness.

Looking to Kouga for reassurance that it was safe and seeing when he nodded, she reminded him to stay within sensing range, to meet them in the onsen at dark, and to call for Kouga if anything happened. Shippou fist pumped the air and zipped off to play.

A few scant minutes later all the adults had shuffled into the inn and those with shoes had politely taken them off in the genkan. A kindly older demon had greeted them warmly, though his greying bushy eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline when he saw Kouga clasping Kagome's hand in his.

Letting the rest of the group go settle in and bathe, Kouga settled their tab and was surprised to find that the old geezer told him they could have three rooms with garden and onsen access for the price of one larger room, since those were booked solid for a mating ceremony. Chuckling and Daichi’s wink and shooing motions, Kouga set down Kagome’s bag in the room and then quickly tracked down the rest of the group to the traditional unisex baths. 

After peeling off his furs Kouga dropped them in the inn's designated wash pile and grimaced. He hated knowing that other people would be washing his clothes, even though everyone else’s clothes were in the pile too, but at least this inn provided everyone with sleeping yukata. He thoroughly scrubbed off the dirt and grime from traveling and took the leather tie out of his hair to wash it. 

As he finished rinsing off the suds, the sweet sound of Kagome’s giggles rang through the air and he hurriedly pulled his hair up into a loose bun. Grabbing a hand towel off the stack to cover himself, he pulled the shoji door open and stepped into the perfumed steam. 

Old Daichi had really outdone himself for that mating ceremony it seemed, Kouga noted with a raised brow. Every inch of the onsen surface was covered in soft iris petals and romantic candles glowed around the edges of the spring. Across the onsen he could just barely make out the forms of the rest of the group where they sat on carved stone ledges. As he waded over to the pack, he grinned at the sound of Shippo and his betas verbally ganging up on Inuyasha. Served him right, always picking on Kagome.

And speaking of Kagome, as he looked over and saw her lounging next to Sango he couldn’t help but grin. She was so gorgeous, even sweat-slicked and puddled into the water while relaxing. Kouga was about to step forward to join them when a harsh yank on the bun of his hair stopped him in his tracks.

“Oi mutt face, I wanna talk to you. Let’s go.” Kouga was too surprised at Inuyasha wanting a one on one to even growl. Following silently, his eyebrows drew down in confusion when Inuyasha turned and sat on a ledge facing Kouga, and motioned for the wolf to sit as well. A few awkward minutes later, Kouga was staring awkwardly at the half demon as Inuyasha looked away.

“Listen asshole, I don’t like you. I hate your dumb face and you always smell like you need a bath.” Rolling his eyes, Kouga was about to leave as Inuyasha started in on him, but the hanyou held up a hand. “But while I may dislike you, for some reason Kagome doesn’t feel the same way. I’ve seen the way she looks at you and if there’s one thing I know about Kagome, it’s that there’s no changing her mind once she’s made it up.” 

Golden eyes turned to meet blue and the staring match that followed was rife with underlying meaning. “Just promise you won’t keep her from me. Don’t smother her, protect her, and make her happy.” A terse nod had them both agreeing to an unspoken truce. Neither particularly liked the other, but they both wanted Kagome in their lives.

As Kouga made his way back to the rest of the group he noticed that the girls had exited the onsen and he had to forcibly drag his eyes away from Kagome’s form. Even though the inn provided modesty towels, there was nothing modest about the way that towel clung to her body. Accidentally catching her eyes, Kouga could feel a blush dusting across his cheeks as she waved back at him and bit her bottom lip.

As the two women made their way back into the changing area, Kouga heard a snort from behind him and rolled his eyes. The wolf stretched, feeling the coiled muscles beneath his skin lose their tension as he lounged back onto a nearby ledge. 

“So boss, you gonna make your move tonight?” Ginta’s voice warbled a bit nervously as he asked the question they were all asking. “You know she’ll probably say yes.” Hakkuku piped up helpfully. Kouga was about to respond with a snarky comment when soft agreements came from the rest of the group of guys. 

Rolling his eyes, Kouga threw his hand towel at his betas and exited the springs, shaking head to toe completely nude. Wolf whistles and comments about how Kagome was a lucky woman had him grinning. Hell, maybe he would ask her to be his mate when they had that talk later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is 90% smut, sorry not sorry.

As Kouga shrugged into one of the inn’s sleeping yukata he sighed when he found it to be too tight around the shoulders. Muscles rippled uncomfortably in the constricting fabric as he began unfolding the futon bedding and wondered where the hell Ginta and Hakakku were. The harsh slide of a shoji door and a squeak startled him into looking back. A blushing Kagome was thrust into the room. 

“Now Kagome, no arguing. Miroku and I are married now. There are three adjoining rooms and we need our privacy, so you can bunk with Kouga. Hell, you two are practically married too.” A grinning Sango winked at him before sliding the door closed definitively. 

All Kouga could do was gape up at her as a blushing Kagome looked around at everything but him and set down her yellow backpack. Well that explained why his packmates had been suspiciously absent from what he had assumed was their shared room. He was going to kill those mutts tomorrow.

Kouga muttered that he could take the floor if she wanted the futon, but resigned himself to a night of torture when she protested that they could share the bed. Sighing, he nodded and finished laying out the bedding before sitting on the blankets to face her. 

“So what did you want to talk about earlier?” The words seemed to bubble out of his mouth before he could stop them and he inwardly groaned.  _ Way to make her feel comfortable.  _ The soft exclamation of “oh” that left her mouth seemed to tease him.

“Well, I was just wondering what, hm, what you thought about us? You once called me your woman, but is that still true?” Her ocean eyes seemed to drown him as she gracefully sat on the bed next to him and pulled the blanket over her legs. One breath passed between them, then two. Gently clasping her hand in his, he exhaled her name in a soft puff. 

“Will you be my woman? For real this time, no boasting. I want you as my mate, forever. I want to wake up next to you every morning and hold you tight every night.” Kouga bit his lip as he leaned forward, looking deep into her wide eyes. She raised the hand he wasn’t holding and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Are you sure Kouga? Once we defeat Naraku and I wish the jewel away, I’ll just be a normal human again.” A soft growl rumbled up and he closed the distance between their lips in a heart stopping kiss. Her lashes fluttered down and she gasped into his lips as he crushed her to his chest and enfolded her in his embrace. He pulled away, panting hard, and nibbled her bottom lip between his fangs.

“When I say forever I mean it. I’ll always love you. Be my mate Kagome?” He murmured with his lips against hers and felt her sharp intake of breath as he ghosted his claws down her back. Her arms climbed to encircle his waist instinctively and she peeped her eyes open to meet brilliant blues. At her soft smile and the definititive nod of her head, Kouga grinned and pinned her to the futon.

He kissed and nibbled down her neck until he nuzzled into the collar of her yukata. Fumbling with her obi knot, Kouga gently peeled the fabric away from her breasts and got an eyefull. Nuzzling into their valley, he planted one elbow on the futon while the other strayed down, creeping past her belly button and parting her robe as it went. 

Laving one pert nipple with his textured tongue had Kagome’s head falling back. The brush of his knuckles finding her slit had her fingers clutching the futon covers. Kouga couldn’t help but groan as he slipped a finger inside of her and she gripped him like a vise. Slowly pumping them in and adding a second, he watched her squirm and sigh.

Flicking his tongue over the other nipple and sucking lightly, he couldn’t help releasing an appreciative growl at the spike in her intoxicating scent. Bucking his hips against her involuntarily made Kagome gasp as she felt him hot and hard against her thigh. Sitting up and withdrawing his fingers, he licked her juices off them while she watched mesmerized. In a flash, he tore off his own yukata, no doubt leaving it in shreds.

Kagome’s brain stopped functioning completely. She ran her hands down the washboard of his abs, down toward the dark strip of hair and settling on the base of him. Feeling huge and throbbing in her hand, she tentatively stroked him, grinning up at him when he released a plaintive whine. 

Ducking down for a quick and sloppy kiss, Kouga let her hand fall away from him and then buried his face between her thighs before she could even react. Kissing and nibbling on the soft flesh, he nudged her clit with his nose and nearly blacked out from the arousing scent of his woman. 

Kouga had never been so hungry for something in his life. With every stroke of his tongue inside her and every flick over her clit, Kagome’s legs shook and she whimpered out his name. Rising and licking his lips, he positioned the tip of his dick against her and stopped.

“Last chance to back out. You still want this?” Kouga’s panting breaths could barely make out the words with how excited he was. Her near shout of “Yes!” was more than enough for him and his hips slowly pushed forward. He grit his teeth at the exquisite torture of not being able to move faster and pound the fuck out of her.

When he was seated nearly to the base and Kagome was adjusting and squirming under him, a thought occured to him about, well, logistics. But with her hips moving slightly it was making it harder for him to think.

“Hey, uh, two things you should probably know. Ahn, w-wait don’t do that, this is important.” Kouga panted out harshly as she experimentaly shifted her hips up. “W-when we’re getting close, I’m gonna have to flip you over and bite your neck to mark you for the mating. And then when I release, we’re gonna get stuck together. It’s ah, it swells. Mmhn.” Her distracted nod was good enough for him.

Finally giving in to Kagome’s needy writhing, he was unable to hold back the moans and growls. Kouga dug his claws into the futon above their heads and picked up the pace. Everytime his balls slapped her ass it felt amazing and Kagome gave herself over to the soft keens she couldn’t hold in. Kouga’s deep bass growl vibrated down his abdomen all the way to where they were connected and it made her lift a shaking leg higher.

Exploring his body led to the discovery that licking his nipple made him slam into her faster, and raking reiki infused nails up his back made his whole body shudder in pleasure. Kouga retaliated by hiking her legs up onto his shoulders and pinching her nipples. A small whine flew out of her mouth and her pussy clenched as he snuck that hand lower and caressed her clit. 

“K-K-Kouga!” Knowing they were both close, her harsh shout had him flipping her over and thrusting into her from behind. Her legs shook with every slap of his testes against her core. The soft scrape of his fangs over her shaking form plunged her over the edge and she clenched around him with a harsh shout of his name. 

Kouga tore into her shoulder blade, his fangs aching from gritting them for so long. One last thrust and he was pushing his knot into her, overwhelmed by the feeling of climaxing while swelling inside of her. Endless gushes of his seed pumped into her as the aftereffects of her orgasm rippled around him. He pulled his fangs away from her sweaty shoulder and licked the blood off apologetically.

“Ya okay Kagome?” He was worried when her arms gave out from beneath her and she landed face down into a pillow. Hips following hers, he attempted to roll them over sideways so she could breathe. As he did his dick twitched inside her and shot out another stream, making her moan softly.

Thinking he broke his new mate, he gently coaxed her to relax by growling softly. A shaky gasp and a twitch made him cut off the sound immediately in order to let her rest.

“Is it always like that?” Kagome’s shellshocked whisper of a question barely reached his ears, even with his advanced hearing. She turned her face so she could see him nod, and saw his eyes cross when she shifted. Grinning wickedly at his reaction, she did it again, only to be stopped by a hand on her hip.

“If you keep doing that we’ll be stuck here a lot longer than the normal twenty minutes.” His growl and flirtatious nip told her he wouldn’t mind so much, but the growling of her stomach made her think twice. 

Kouga pulled a blanket over them and tried his best to help his body calm down faster. A soft snore ten minutes later had him smiling down at his disheveled little mate. Propping up on an elbow, he grazed a thumb over her soft cheekbone and kissed her shoulder. He was the luckiest damned wolf in the world.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome stared down at the two halves of the jewel in her hands as she sat in the meadow that held the bone eater’s well. The battle was finally over and Naraku was dead, but despite that she just couldn’t feel happy, because now she’d have to make a wish. 

The rustling sound of grass being crushed alerted Kagome to Kouga sitting down beside her. She felt his arm come around her shoulders and she leaned her head on his chest. The last three weeks since their mating had been the happiest of her life, even through the terror of the battle with Naraku. Hearing his faint rumble of contentment, she relaxed and let her tension go.

Endless possibilities for the perfect wish had swarmed her mind anxiously over the last week since defeating Naraku. She knew that for her wish to be truly pure, she couldn’t benefit from it. If she just wished it away now, she’d be benefitting from the wish because she’d be free of her duty to protect the jewel. How could she reverse the damage from the jewel while not losing her current timeline with her friends and Kouga?

She couldn’t. 

Eyes widening with sudden realization, she looked to Kouga and prayed she wasn’t making a mistake. Through teary eyes she pulled him down for a last kiss and poured in all her feelings for him, just in case. She fused the shards together and purified the completed jewel. 

“I wish that the mortal man who loved Midoriko was never devoured by demons, thus never spawning the Demon of the Shikon Jewel and never trapping the demon and Midoriko inside the jewel.”

A flash of light assailed Kagome’s senses and she closed them against the blinding intensity. The swirling feeling of free falling consumed the priestess until she descended into oblivion. The unconscious young woman gracefully floated down into her pink plush bed covers and slept fitfully until light streamed through her bedroom window.

“Kagome! It’s time to get up! You’re going to be late for your high school graduation!” The urgent sound of her mother’s voice from downstairs jolted her out of her sleep and she stood up on rubbery legs.

She held a weary hand to her head as she shuffled to the bathroom down the hall. After flipping on the lights and looking at herself in the mirror, she washed her face and stopped dead when she saw the mating mark on her shoulder. Memories flashed as she raised a tentative hand to it and the bombardment of information left her feeling queasy.

“Ten minutes Kagome!” Gripping the sink as her mother’s voice called up to her, Kagome blew out a breath and tried to calm herself down. Covering the mark with her hair, she resolved to act as normal as she could and quickly dressed and ran downstairs. Her mother handed her a muffin and quickly shooed the rest of the family out to the car. The short ride to the school passed quickly and before she knew it she was fumbling through the graduation ceremony. After names were called and the class thanked their teachers for the last time, Kagome found herself wrapped up in a group hug with her three squealing best friends. 

“This calls for a shopping spree!” Eri’s cheery voice called out and they waved goodbye to all their parents and made their way to the nearest bus stop. As the other three girls chattered excitedly about universities during the bus ride, Kagome looked out the window distractedly until they reached the mall and she was pulled into the huge food court. 

When Eri and Yuka ordered their food, the smell of the greasy burgers and fries slowly started making Kagome’s stomach turn. Catching a worried glance from Ayumi who had noticed her friend’s pale face, Kagome fought down the nausea until the smell of Eri’s fish sandwich reached her nose. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she ran through the crowd towards the women’s restrooms.

Barely making it to the stall in time, Kagome emptied her breakfast into the toilet and barely registered Ayumi coming up behind her and holding her hair back gently. Standing up on shaky legs, the young woman wiped her mouth with toilet paper and pulled her hair into a hairtie. Turning to face Ayumi and thank her, she was met with a gasp as her friend’s eyes narrowed on the mark at her neck.

“Kagome that’s a mating mark! When did that happen? And with who!” Kagome stared at her with wide eyes before turning and dry heaving into the toilet. She heard soft murmurs from Ayumi and felt a hand on her back as she heaved. “Are you pregnant Kagome?” Ayumi asked as Kagome wiped her face again and went to wash her hands in front of the mirrors.

Kagome’s surprise was written all over her face as she looked at her friend and then thought about the possibility. “I think we should take you to a clinic, just in case. I know one just down the street that’ll take us.” Kagome nodded silently as Ayumi texted Eri that she was taking Kagome to the doctor and that they’d talk tomorrow. The walk down the street was mostly quiet, the two girls walking arm in arm as they entered the waiting room.

A cheerful receptionist tried to have Kagome sign in before Ayumi interrupted her and murmured that they would need the “special” paperwork and waiting room in the back. A swift nod and a wink later and Kagome was seated in a small area in the back and filling out paperwork. Hovering over the question asking relationship status, she finally checked the box that said mated and wrote in the spouse species as Ookami. 

As the doctor walked in and took Kagome’s vitals in an exam room, she introduced herself as Dr. Matsuno. “Now girls, if you’re wearing charms you can take them off in here and let your auras out. This area is warded against the normal patrons in the front.” Kagome unfurled her massive reiki aura and watched with rapt attention as Ayumi’s form changed into a wolf hanyou and Dr. Matsuno became a kitsune. Both demons flinched a bit at the brush of reiki in the room.

Silently squeeing, Kagome reached up and pleaded with her eyes to touch Ayumi’s soft brown ears. Rolling her eyes and bending to let Kagome pet them, the girls were interrupted with the doctor’s throat clearing. Blushing, the young girl hopped onto the exam table and was surprised when the kitsune doctor pulled up her shirt and sniffed at her abdomen.

“Congratulations Ms. Higurashi, you’re definitely pregnant. Do you know when your last menstrual cycle started?” When Kagome murmured that it had been just over 5 weeks, the doctor nodded and handed her a gown to change into behind a privacy curtain. Her mind reeling, the young priestess changed numbly and called out that she was done.

Dr. Matsuno explained how the ultraound was going to be performed as she set up the machine, and Kagome held onto Ayumi’s clawed hand until she saw that little flicker on the screen. Bringing a hand up to her mouth and whispering a soft _oh_ , Kagome felt herself crying softly. The kitsune doctor took some measurements, finished up the scan, and printed off a photo of the tiny fetus, mentioning that the growth was on track for a wolf hanyou.

“Do you have any questions dear?” Seeing Kagome’s head shake, she closed the privacy screen so the girl could change and told her that she’d be leaving a prescription with the receptionist.

“So Kagome, who exactly is your mate? Because I know everyone in the wolf demon tribe and no one’s mentioned getting mated recently.” At Ayumi’s soft comment as they left the office and picked up the prescription, Kagome looked at her now human looking friend. Murmuring that it was a long story and she wanted to find somewhere more private, they headed to a local park and sat on a bench at the far side away from the playground.

Kagome hesitantly told Ayumi the whole story, from falling down the well to mating Kouga and wishing the jewel was never created, which must have erased the past since she was the only one who remembered it. A moment passed in silence as Kagome laid a hand on her stomach and Ayumi processed.

“But I guess it didn’t erase everything, since I’m still mated and pregnant, even though I’m sure the father doesn’t even know who I am. I’m not sure how I’m going to pull off being a single mom at nineteen.” She looked up at Ayumi’s face and felt herself tear up. Ayumi stood and held out a hand to Kagome and pulled her up from the bench, her face determined.

“Listen Kagome, no matter how it happened, you’re still Kouga’s mate and that’s his pup. I’m taking you to the pack house and he’s going to listen to your story. He’ll probably be confused as hell, but he’s a good man and I know he would want to know about you. Mate bonds are forever, and you two have got centuries together ahead of you to figure it all out.” Dragging Kagome along, Ayumi made a phone call and asked for an emergency ride. 

When a little black car pulled up to the curb ten minutes later, Ayumi shuffled Kagome into the car and sat down next to her. The priestesses eyes shot wide open when she saw who was driving and couldn’t help but ask “Ginta?” in a surprised whisper. He looked back at her in surprise but Ayumi just shrugged her shoulders and he started driving them to the pack house.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Maddieson-san, my 100th tumblr follower! You asked for this update and here it is!

“What the fuck do you mean she’s my mate?!” Kouga looked back and forth from Kagome to Ayumi in surprised anger, like they were playing a prank on him. Kagome shifted on the couch nervously and blew out a breath. 

“See Ayumi, I knew this was a waste of time.” She grabbed the other girl’s hand and tried to brush by Kouga, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. For a moment she was looking up into his electric blue eyes and then he pushed her hair away from her neck and saw the proof for himself. Taking off his charm ring and leaning closer to scent her mark to confirm it was his, Kouga’s eyes widened in horror when he analyzed her scent.

“You’re pregnant! H-how? This is impossible! What magic is this?” Kouga backed away from the young woman and stumbled back to collapse back onto the sectional couch where Ginta and Hakkaku sat stunned. “Explain this. That’s clearly my mark and I can tell you’re pregnant, but I’ve never met you in my life.” 

Kagome bit her bottom lip nervously as she started her tale from the beginning again. When she mentioned that she was a miko, Kouga demanded that she release her aura as proof, and she did. Her bright purity brushed against his yokai lovingly and they merged together like long separated lovers. Kouga couldn’t deny that the girl’s aura was clearly mixed with his as if the mating had really occurred.

“But I didn’t know I was pregnant until today. Ayumi saw the mark when I threw up at the mall and took me to a clinic, and then here to tell you about it all.” She finished and looked up at his shocked face. She leaned forward as his eyes scanned her up and down as if searching for any flaws in her story, any lies that would make it untrue. 

“Well, I think you and I need to go talk. Alone.” He pinned a pointed glance at the rest of the room and offered Kagome a hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she took it and he led her out the back door into the forested area behind the house. Sneaking a glance over at the uncharmed ookami beside her, she felt her heart skip a beat at how much more handsome he was after all these years. His lean teenage frame had given way to strong muscles and a bit of added height.

She watched him run a hand over his face, pinched brows conveying the stress and shock of the situation. They stopped in a small glade for a moment and Kouga paced, nervous energy clearly making him nearly crawl out of his skin. Kagome watched between lowered lids as he pulled out his ponytail and scratched his claws along his scalp. That thin cotton tee shirt stretched over smooth muscles and rode up just enough to see the trail of hair leading into his jeans, leading her mind to wander as he blew out a ragged sigh.

“So maybe we should start over? Hi there, I’m Kouga, alpha of the wolf demon tribe, and apparently your mate.” His voice broke through her dreamy thoughts about how well his shirt fit over his chest. A blush rose to her cheeks at his small grin and she smiled back shyly.

“Hi Kouga, I’m Kagome, a nineteen year old time traveling priestess. Lovely weather we’re having today, isn’t it?” She couldn’t help but smile and giggle at the absurdity of the conversation and his answering cocky grin knocked the breath out of her lungs. Kagome licked her lips and quickly looked away to cover her embarrassing reaction. 

“I can see why the other version of myself fell for you so hard.” The girl was absolutely adorable. Kouga thought to himself that at least he wasn’t completely miserable to find himself in this situation. “Look Kagome, mating is forever. What's done is done, but I guess I’m willing to give this a shot if you are Kagome.” 

Taking a risk, he let his hand fall next to hers and brushed up against her pinky. When she mimicked his actions he hesitantly nudged his hand into hers and gauged her reaction as promising. Cheeks painted a permanent rose red, the girl nodded and held his hand a bit tighter. 

A slow moment passed with the pair just holding hands and walking through the woods together before Kouga turned and looked at Kagome. “Let me take you on a date tomorrow night? It’s Saturday so the shop closes up early. I could pick you up from your house at six, wherever you live.” At her soft _okay_ , he nodded and steered her back towards the house.

“Come on girls, I’ll give you both a ride home. It’s getting late.” Both young women bundled up into the car and he dropped Ayumi off first. The hanyou winked at Kagome as she waved goodbye and Kouga asked where she lived. He chuckled when she told him she lived on the Sunset Shrine with her family.

“Of course you live on a shrine. Go figure.” She looked up at Kouga from the passenger side and giggled a bit. Noticing how she kept surreptitiously glancing at how his arms flexed as he drove, he grinned and sneakily flexed a bit more, noting the uptick of spice in her scent. Well she certainly acted like a mated woman did, he thought to himself.

Pulling up to the curb, Kagome expected him to just drop her off but was pleasantly surprised when he started walking her up the steps and to the door. She saw the front curtain flutter as Kouga took one of her hands in his and brought it up to his lips. Her heart broke at the chivalrous gesture and lifted that same hand to caress his cheek.

Feeling like she needed the contact, Kagome took a chance and pulled his lips down to hers for a soft kiss. Eyelids fluttering low, she savored their breaths mingling together and the taste of his lips. 

“I miss you.” The longing in those words whispered against his lips had his heart melting. He may not remember how exactly they had mated, but that was his woman looking up at him with such melancholy eyes. He could just feel it in his bones, how right this was. Swearing internally when he realized how much it must be killing her, he swooped down intending to give her a quick kiss to tide her over.

What happened instead was breathtaking, mindblowing. He felt his eyes going red as she pushed her hands through his hair and pulled him closer. He captured her soft and breathy gasp when he pushed her up against her front door. Kouga realized he needed to stop this before it got too out of hand, but before he could pull away, an indignant throat cleared from behind them.

Blushing to his roots in a way he hadn’t done in centuries, he let Kagome go and turned to face the old man behind them tapping his foot in annoyance.

“Excuse me young man, I think you would be wise to unhand my young granddaughter.” The old grump sniffed indignantly as he grabbed up Kagome’s hand and tried to shoo her inside while leaving a mystified Kouga in their wake. Before the grandfather was able to pull her inside completely though, the young demon managed to grab a pen and quickly scribble his number on her hand. 

“Call me!” Kouga grinned as he saw her wave from the door before it was succinctly shut behind them. He huffed softly on the drive home and thought about the young woman who he was apparently shackled with. At least she seemed to genuinely love him, or at least the other version of him she knew? 

Scrubbing his face with a hand as he walked through his front door, Kouga was immediately bombarded with frantic questions from his betas about the mysterious Kagome. After barking out the order to sit down and shut up, everyone quieted down and they were actually able to hear his answers.

“Yes, I’m going to follow through with this. Yes, I’m taking her on a date tomorrow. No, I haven’t asked her to move in yet you nut job! I just met the girl today!” But when the barrage of questions were answered, one question stood out in his mind.

_How in the hell was he going to break it off with Ayame?_


	5. Chapter 5

Kouga stared at the small ringbox in his hands as he leaned against the counter of the jewelry store. Sighing heavily, he handed the small fortune back over to the cashier as he returned the purchase. Couldn’t marry someone else if he already had a mate.

It was probably for the best, he supposed. Ayame had pursued him avidly for centuries before he’d given in and dated her, but his heart was never really in it. Even as he’d bought that ring a few months ago, he’d been full of doubts, not really knowing if it was the right choice for him. 

Now though, he was relieved he hadn’t proposed yet. Hadn’t taken it any further than dating. It would make it easier on everybody.

But, really, maybe this was why he’d never been interested in Ayame, or anyone for that fact. Maybe, deep down, he’d always known there was someone out there waiting for him. That all he had to do was find her, or let her find him. 

Maybe it was Kagome all along. 

Lost in thought, he nearly missed the cashier handing him back his return receipt, until the young man tapped him on the shoulder and smiled pityingly. It was never a good thing when someone returned an engagement ring.

As he stepped out into the deluge of rain outside, he rushed over to his car and started it up, heading to the other side of town where Ayame’s apartment was. He needed to get this over with. Needed to have a clean break with Ayame so he could have a fresh start with Kagome. 

He still felt like scum though, even by the time he was walking up the flights of stairs to her floor. God, what an asshole she’d think he was by the end of this. 

As he flipped the key in the lock though, he could instantly tell something was wrong. 

Those weren’t his boots by the door.

Kouga marched down the hallway and flung her bedroom door open, somehow unsurprised to see two people gasp in shock and clutch the sheets to their naked bodies. 

“I guess that makes this easier on me. I was coming over here to break up with you, but it looks like you’ve already moved on.” 

He didn’t linger. 

The drive away from Ayame’s apartment was emotional, but not in the way he’d thought it would be. It was mostly relief, though he was feeling a smidge of anger that she’d probably been cheating on him for a while. At least he wouldn’t have to deal with her bullshit anymore, despite the calls from her he kept getting and ignoring.

But the thought of Kagome wearing his ring stayed with him for the rest of the day, even as he got ready for the date they had planned. Though she was his mate, he barely knew anything about her. He wanted to take her out, romance her, find out what she liked and what she hated. 

They had a long way to go and only a few months before she was due. It was an imposing deadline, the thought that he might be a father before they were even really together. 

Rolling up the cuffs to his dress shirt for comfort as he drove to the shrine, he couldn’t help but worry about how all of this would look too. She was young, too young really. She’d only just graduated high school with Ayumi for god sakes. 

And even if you could look past the fact that she was young, there was the matter of his age as well. He was nearing 700, still in his prime but clearly a man. Most people pegged him to be about 30. He could nearly pass for her dad. The looks they’d get…

But they’d have to deal with it. She was his mate, and she was pregnant. Maybe they could lie about her age until she looked a little older? He could tell that despite their mating, they hadn’t completed the soul bond before she’d made that wish, so she’d still age until they did. 

Coming up to the curb, he quickly parked on the street and jogged up the steps, eager to spend as much time together as possible.

But when he rang the doorbell, it wasn’t his mate that answered it. 

The old man from before stood there silently fuming, until Kagome lightly pushed past him and gave her grandfather a stubborn look.

“I told you Gramps, I’m going on this date. Mom knows about it and I’ve explained everything to her. Goodbye.”

Kouga watched wide-eyed as Kagome grabbed his hand and practically dragged him away from the shrine, only letting up when they were at the bottom of the steps. 

“I’m sorry about that. He’s just being protective. But I told my mom everything that happened. She didn’t want to believe me at first, but I was able to convince her when she saw the scar from the jewel…”

He held open the door for her with a nervous smile and she stepped into his truck, surprised it wasn’t a motorcycle or something. As he started driving, he could feel her eyes on him as the silence stretched, and couldn’t help but be a bit worried again by his age.

Taking a chance, he looked at her and only found her peeking at him from under her lashes, smiling lightly.

“Is it weird to say that I’ve missed your face? You look a bit different now, but it’s good.” Her soft voice had him blowing out a nervous puff of air as he looked back at the road.

“I was worried about that. You’re only 19, right? My documents say I’m 29. People are probably gonna think I’m a creep.” 

“It’s only a 10 year difference, at least it looks that way on paper. I know you’re much older though. Does that bother you?” She reached across the cab of the truck to hold his right hand, bringing it to her lap and lacing her fingers through his. A soft caress across each one of his claws had him smiling slightly. The fact that she knew about him being a demon and accepted it so easily was a huge comfort to his mind.

“Not really. I just worry about what people will say about you. About us. About your reputation. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He squeezed her hand in his and rubbed a small circle comfortingly with his thumb.

“I won’t be. I’ve got a thick skin. I’m a legal adult and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. All I care about is you. Well, you and this little one.” Her free hand came up to rest on her flat belly, a small smile directed downwards.

And that smile didn’t leave her face as they parked the truck and walked into the restaurant. She was practically glowing as they were seated, despite the waiter’s raised eyebrows. 

“Hey, get whatever you want, okay? I want to make sure you get a good meal since you’re eating for two.” He smiled what he hoped was a charming grin, and heard her heart skip a beat. 

And as they stared into each other’s eyes in that corner booth in a small cafe, Kouga could feel his heart warm in a way he’d never felt before. Not with Ayame or any of his previous girlfriends. And maybe that was the mating mark and screwy timeline.

Or maybe he’d always known he was waiting for her.


End file.
